Why Not Me?

By: Mindy Kaling
Narrator(s): Mindy Kaling, Greg Daniels, & B.J. Novak

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: Non-Fiction, Humor, Autobiography
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Format: Unabridged audiobook
Length: 4hrs and 57 mins
Released Date: September 15th  2015

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Synopsis:

In Why Not Me?, Kaling shares her ongoing journey to find contentment and excitement in her adult life, whether it’s falling in love at work, seeking new friendships in lonely places, attempting to be the first person in history to lose weight without any behavior modification whatsoever, or most important, believing that you have a place in Hollywood when you’re constantly reminded that no one looks like you.

In “How to Look Spectacular: A Starlet’s Confessions,” Kaling gives her tongue-in-cheek secrets for surefire on-camera beauty, (“Your natural hair color may be appropriate for your skin tone, but this isn’t the land of appropriate–this is Hollywood, baby. Out here, a dark-skinned woman’s traditional hair color is honey blonde.”) “Player” tells the story of Kaling being seduced and dumped by a female friend in L.A. (“I had been replaced by a younger model. And now they had matching bangs.”) In “Unlikely Leading Lady,” she muses on America’s fixation with the weight of actresses, (“Most women we see onscreen are either so thin that they’re walking clavicles or so huge that their only scenes involve them breaking furniture.”) And in “Soup Snakes,” Kaling spills some secrets on her relationship with her ex-boyfriend and close friend, B.J. Novak (“I will freely admit: my relationship with B.J. Novak is weird as hell.”)

Mindy turns the anxieties, the glamour, and the celebrations of her second coming-of-age into a laugh-out-loud funny collection of essays that anyone who’s ever been at a turning point in their life or career can relate to. And those who’ve never been at a turning point can skip to the parts where she talks about meeting Bradley Cooper.

Audiobook Review

I think that it’s already been expressed that I adore Mindy Kalling—scratch that love her. Moreover, while Why Not Me? is not directly connected to her first book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, I think that it acted as a great sophomore book (having read them both).

In this book, Mindy takes the readers through her life leading up to the launched—and preceding—her own TV show, The Mindy Project and the way in which she opens up about her experiences with her rising celebrity status I can not help but find incredibly enduring.

I kind of feel like enduring isn’t the right word here—more like awe-inspiring. Not every one will have the same career path or experiences that she has had, but in my opinion she has this great, inviting and honest ways of connecting with people. Her funny stories and unforgiving antidotes will keep you sticking around to listen to how she defines her crazy/weird “soup-snakes” relationship with B. J. Novak, the things she learned about getting her show picked-up and it’s transfer to Hulu, the inspiration behind the show and the character and about the time she decided to “rush” in college.

Need I forget, the all too brief tale about her on-again, off-again relationship with a secrete service officer, Will. Or the detailed and very funny alternate universe story she shares about her life if she had not moved out to L.A. over ten years ago. I think it’s funny that Mindy often describes her voice and the way that she speaks as a sort of screeching, when in all honestly, it comes across as a light and feathery—if that makes any sense. I mean, I watch The Mindy Project and I’ve seen Mindy’s character be “angry” or “pissed off” but she never sounds scary or unnerve-wrackingly aggressive or intimidating.

Listening to this audiobook, watching her show or catching her in an interview, Mindy’s tonality and personality just proves that when *cough* if I become a famous TV writer, she and I will be besties. 🙂 I can feel it, guys. I can tell it’ll happen. And no, you can have a say on the matter because it’s already written in the stars of my future fame filled life.

Where was?…Oh, right, the review J To summarize, once again, I adore Mindy and her inviting, quirky, and honest personality. I’d recommend this to anyone who loves Mindy, wants a non-invasive, easy, enjoyable and funny book to enjoy.

Thanks so much for reading this audiobook review, guys.

Gia.

P.S. Obviously the whole thing about Mindy and I becoming besties was a joke. We already are besties ;-).